Theater: NovelMaster | Language: English | NEW
Synopsis
Three years after my forced amputation, I stayed locked inside my room, refusing to face the outside world.
Chloe, my so-called best friend who claimed she self-studied psychology, insisted on putting me through "exposure therapy."
And just like that, the three childhood best friends who had once sworn to take care of me for the rest of my life changed.
They began withholding food and water from me.
They claimed it was the only way to awaken my will to survive.
Whenever I broke down emotionally, they locked me in a dark closet.
They said it would cure my codependency on them.
Then, on a hiking trip up the mountain, they even stripped away my prosthetic leg.
"Andie, you lost your leg pulling Ethan, Liam, and Noah out of the earthquake rubble."
"They've taken care of you for three whole years. You can't just wallow in your trauma forever and drag their lives down."
So, they abandoned me halfway up the trail and told me to crawl to the summit lodge.
As the four of them walked away, I looked down at my bleeding, mangled stump.
Tears burned the corners of my eyes.
After a moment of silence, I dialed the coach who had never stopped calling me.
"I'm in. Sign me up for the closed training camp."
By the time a kind stranger helped me up to the summit lodge, my right stump was raw and bloody.
The moment Chloe saw me, she clapped her hands in delight.
"See? I told you Andie could make it up here on her own!"
"You guys babied her way too much. That’s why she's been playing the helpless victim for three years."
Ethan laughed along. "Chloe really knows best. Andie finally took that first step."
Liam nodded with rare relief in his voice. "Yeah. Listening to Chloe was the right call."
Noah smiled softly. "Chloe, you're amazing."
All three showered her with praise.
Not a single one noticed the state I was in.
I let out a bitter laugh. "So... can I go home now?"
"No way, Andie." Chloe's smile vanished instantly. "This is just the beginning. You can't quit halfway."
"My leg..."
I rolled up my pant leg.
After miles of stumbling and dragging myself across the jagged stone path, the socket interface had torn my skin open. Blood was dripping down.
Their expressions shifted at once, guilt and hesitation flickering in their eyes.
Liam spoke first. "You did amazing today, Andie."
Ethan reached out. "I'll carry you down."
Noah was already digging through his backpack for gauze. "Let's clean that wound first."
Chloe cleared her throat from the side with a pointed cough:
"Are you going to carry her for the rest of your lives? Do you want her dragging you down forever?"
All three froze.
The air died in an instant.
Ethan’s outstretched hand hung in midair. Liam’s furrowed brow slowly smoothed out. Noah stopped unzipping his bag.
They wavered.
"If you want what’s best for everyone, listen to me."
"Even if she has to crawl, she needs to climb to the top."
With that, Chloe turned around and kept walking up the trail.
The three men followed right behind her. "It’s for your own good, Andie."
Ethan walked on her left. Liam shielded her right. Noah trailed close behind, carrying her jacket and water bottle.
I gritted my teeth, stepped back onto my bruised leg, and dragged myself forward.
Every single step felt like walking on broken glass.
Clutching the icy metal railing, I forced myself up.
Chloe let out a tiny gasp.
Ethan grabbed her arm immediately. "Careful."
Liam stepped beside her to block the wind. "Take it slow. No rush."
Noah supported her back. "Don't worry, we've got you."
All three crowded around her.
Someone in the crowd bumped into me, and I lost my balance completely, crashing hard against the stone steps.
My stump slammed violently against the sharp edge of the rock. A jolt of sickening pain shot through me, turning my vision black.
I lay flat on the cold stone, unable to get up for a long time.
Looking up through the strangers passing by, I saw Liam finally glance back at me.
"Andie, Chloe is right. You need to push yourself. Stop being so fragile."
"It's just a scrape. Don't make a scene, and stop making us worry all the time."
Just a scrape.
Stop making them worry.
I lay frozen on the ground as blood slowly soaked through my clothes.
Back then... I was the one who dragged the three of them out of the collapsed school building.
I was the one whose leg was crushed to save their lives.
And now, I was the one left bleeding behind them, while not a single one turned back.
I lowered my head and let out a faint laugh.
The sound was swallowed by the mountain wind. No one heard it.
I pulled out my phone and dialed that number I hadn't touched in three years.
The line clicked open. After two seconds of silence, a deep voice broke the quiet: "Have you made up your mind?"
Leaning against the stone steps, I watched the three figures fade into the distance.
"Yeah. I'm coming back."
"Sign me up for the Para Games."I hung up, bit down on the pain, and pushed myself up inch by inch.
Since I made my choice, I had to see it through to the end.
I looked ahead.
Their silhouettes were completely gone.
They didn't wait for me.
They used to. They didn't now. And they never would again.
I looked away. I could only rely on myself.
I used to be terrified of the pain, terrified of falling, terrified of being a burden, terrified they would think I was needy.
Now, there was nothing left to fear.
Since I made my choice, I had to walk this path all the way.
By the time I reached the mid-mountain observation deck, rain began pouring down.
I leaned against the railing to catch my breath, pulled out my phone, and sent a text.
When does training start?
He replied instantly: Whenever you're ready.
Staring at those words, my mind flashed back to when I was sixteen, pulling the three of them from the rubble one by one...
My right leg had gone completely numb, leaving a trail of blood behind me, but I never stopped.
Back then, I fought with my life to save them.
Now, I was fighting with everything I had to save myself.
I dropped my location pin and told him where to meet me.
Once I set my mind to this, I would run somewhere so far they could never reach me again.
Dusk had already fallen by the time I finally caught up with them.
The four of them were standing near the observation deck.
Chloe was wrapped in Liam's jacket, sipping hot tea Noah handed her, while Ethan held an umbrella over her head.
Seeing me limp up, Liam frowned first.
"Why took you so long?"
Ethan checked his watch. "You're forty minutes behind us."
Noah said nothing, but his brows were knit tight with annoyance.
Chloe sighed dramatically. "Andie, this won't do. Your stamina is awful. You need discipline."
Liam nodded. "Way too slow. You need a penalty to teach you a lesson."
I stood there, drenched to the bone.
Looking at the four of them standing close together, the sight felt sickeningly foreign.
"A penalty?"
Ethan walked over, knelt down, and reached for the socket of my prosthetic.
Instinctively, I shrank back. "Don't touch it—"
With a swift click, he detached it.
My right leg was suddenly empty. A sharp gasp of pain tore from my throat.
I stood on one leg, clutching the stone pillar beside me to keep from collapsing.
Noah pulled bandages and antiseptic from his bag, kneeling down to clean the raw, bleeding skin on my stump.
His hands were gentle, even practiced, yet not an ounce of warmth reached my heart.
"The prosthetic is too much trouble," he murmured as he applied the ointment. "It keeps hurting you. You should use it less."
Liam chimed in from the side, "Yeah, Andie. If you keep depending on it, you'll never heal."
They weren't worried about my pain.
They just found me inconvenient.
Ethan handed my prosthetic leg directly to Chloe. "Here, Chloe. Use this as a hiking pole so you don't slip."
"Right, Chloe has a weak constitution," Liam added. "She can't tire herself out. Bear with it for a bit."
Chloe took my leg and leaned on it like a cane, heading toward the summit lodge.
I stood there on one leg, swaying in the wind.
Ethan looked back at me.
"Andie, this builds character. It's for your own good."
Noah zipped up the medical kit and stood up. "We believe you can do it."
Liam took off his spare jacket and held it out. "Put this on. Don't catch a cold."
The three of them stood in front of me, as if they had finally remembered I existed.
I shook my head, looking past them at the prosthetic in Chloe's hands.
"Give it back."
Ethan sighed. "Andie, your attitude is getting worse and worse."
Liam frowned. "Don't make a scene. Chloe needs it right now."
Noah tried to soothe me. "You'll get it back at the top. Don't be so stubborn."
Stubborn.
I laughed.
I was standing on one foot in the pouring rain, and they called me stubborn.
"That is my leg. I need it to walk."
Chloe looked back. "Andie, you're just not pushed hard enough. You rely on crutches too much. We're doing this for you."
Ethan nodded. "Chloe's right. You need the push."
Liam added, "If you can't even handle this, how will you live your life?"
Noah chimed in, "Catch up to us, and we'll give it back."
I had no choice but to hop up the slick stone steps on one foot, my raw palms gripping the icy railing.
Sweat and rain blurred my vision. My skin peeled against the metal.
I gritted my teeth.
On the fifth step, my good leg buckled, and I slammed onto my knees.
I lay flat against the cold stone, gasping for air for a long time.
Then, pulling myself up by the railing, I stood again.Chloe stood a few paces ahead, leaning on my prosthetic leg. She looked back at me with a smirk.
"See? That's what I'm talking about."
"You can't go soft on her."
"I told you she was faking it. Look at her hopping up the mountain on one foot—she's perfectly capable."
"Next, we need to up the intensity."
None of the three argued.
"You're right. We spoiled her too much."
They turned around and entered the summit restaurant.
By the time I hopped up the last flight of stairs and leaned against the doorway, they were already eating.
All four seats at the table were taken.
Ethan was ladling soup into Chloe's bowl, Liam was putting food on her plate, and Noah had the dessert menu open, asking what she wanted.
I dragged myself over and pulled a chair from the next table.
Chloe frowned slightly. "Andie, you're covered in mud. Don't ruin the chair. Just stand for a bit. You're used to standing on one leg anyway."
Liam pulled the chair away. "Yeah, stand for now. We'll sort it out after dinner."
I didn't have the strength to fight for a chair.
I stood by the table, watching the four of them eat.
Chloe took a sip of soup and complained it was too hot.
Ethan immediately took the bowl, blew on it, and handed it back to her.
Liam pushed his cup of hot ginger tea toward her.
Noah smiled and told her to take her time.
My throat was parched. My lips were cracked and bleeding. I hadn't had a single drop of water since morning.
No one asked if I was hungry or thirsty.
"I'm hungry," I said raspy.
Chloe set her spoon down. "Andie, you've only fasted for one day. Fasting therapy requires three full days. Hang in there."
Ethan nodded.
"Chloe's right."
Liam set down his fork. "Bear with it, Andie. It's for your own good."
Noah closed the menu. "Listen to Chloe. She understands how to help you best."
The three of them looked at Chloe with admiration and total trust, firmly on her side without a shred of hesitation.
I stood there, watching the four of them together like a picture-perfect portrait.
And I was the outsider.
I turned around and hopped out into the cold night air.
Ethan called after me, "Andie, where are you going? It's freezing out there."
"Getting some air."
Fate wasn't kind.
Soon, a torrential downpour unleashed over the mountain.
With nowhere else to go, I had to return.
The power was out in the restaurant, and candles flickered on the tables.
Seeing me return, Ethan's eyes lit up and he stood up.
"Andie, perfect timing!"
"Someone just recognized you. They remembered you used to be on the national gymnastics team."
Noah added, "Andie, do a performance for everyone."
Liam smiled too. "Yeah, the power's out and people are bored."
Chloe sat in the center, smiling sweetly at me:
"Right, Andie! Didn't you win gold medals before? Show everyone what a real champion can do."
Other stranded tourists looked over. Some recognized my face, whispering and clapping.
"Show us! Come on, give us a show!"
They wanted me to perform.
In a dark, blackout restaurant, in front of a room full of strangers, on my one remaining leg, they wanted me to do gymnastics.
"I only have one leg."
Ethan paused, then waved his hand with a chuckle. "Come on, just a few moves to entertain people."
Liam agreed. "Yeah, nothing intense. Just for fun."
Noah coaxed, "Don't be a party pooper, Andie."
Chloe chimed in:
"This is to motivate you. You were so incredible back then. Even a simple routine will blow them away."
The restaurant fell quiet, every eye fixed on me.
I nodded slowly. "Fine."
"I'll perform."I hopped to the center of the dining room and balanced myself.
Taking a deep breath, I raised my arms into the starting pose I had practiced a million times.
The candlelight was dim, but everyone saw it clearly.
I had only one leg. My empty right pant leg swayed lightly with my movements.
I did the simplest balance pose: standing on one leg, arms extended.
Years ago, this wouldn't even count as a warmup.
Now, I had to grind my teeth just to keep from toppling over.
Then a second pose. A third.
Every shift in weight yanked on my raw stump. Blood seeped through the fabric of my pants.
Drip. Drip.
It splattered against the wooden floor.
Ethan clapped from the table, looking proud.
Liam took a sip of tea and nodded in satisfaction.
Noah held up his phone, recording a video.
Chloe sat right between them.
None of them noticed the blood pooling on the floor.
Or maybe they saw it and didn't care.
I finished the final hold, balancing on trembling limbs, gasping for breath.
Thunderous applause erupted in the room. People cheered, yelling for an encore, praising how incredible it was.
I stood straight on my single leg and looked at the four of them.
"I'm done."
"There's your gold medal performance."
Chloe put on a look of wounded innocence:
"Andie, are you mad at us?"
"We just wanted to encourage you, to give you back your confidence."
The guys quickly backed her up.
"Chloe is amazing. If it weren't for her, Andie would never have taken this step."
"Yeah, Chloe put so much thought into this."
"You should thank Chloe, Andie."
I said nothing.
Suddenly, the ground beneath our feet violently shuddered.
Everyone felt it.
The candleholders rattled, spilling tea across the tables.
"Earthquake!"
The building violently swayed.
Chairs crashed, dishes shattered on the floor, and people surged in terror toward the exit.
An earthquake.
Just like when I was sixteen.
Back then, when the concrete ceiling caved in, I was dragging the three of them out into the daylight.
I remembered the sickening crunch of bone, the sensation of my right leg being ground to pulp beneath the rubble, and then absolute darkness.
The suffocating terror came rushing back.
All I could see was the debris from six years ago, and the bloody trail I had crawled through.
Ethan grabbed Chloe's wrist. Liam threw his jacket over her head to shield her. Noah charged ahead to clear a path through the stampede.
Instinctively, I reached out my hand.
"Ethan..."
He looked down at me for half a second.
"Andie, run!"
Then he bolted toward the door without looking back.
Liam brushed past me, his pace never slowing.
Noah sprinted right past me, not stopping either.
They evacuated toward safety.
No one cared about me.
Within moments, the restaurant emptied out. Only I was left.
The choking dread pressed heavier against my chest. My vision began to dim.
The terror of sixteen paralyzed me. I couldn't breathe. My good leg buckled, and I slammed hard onto the floor.
I lay there trembling, unable to tell if it was now or six years ago.
"Help me..."
I lifted my head. Through the swinging doors, I saw the three guys shielding Chloe, rushing toward the open clearing.
Sheltered between them, Chloe peeked timidly back toward the restaurant.
Through the sheet of rain, I saw the corner of her lips curl into a smirk.
Then she tucked her head back into their arms and followed them into the distance.
Another violent jolt rocked the ground.
A deafening crack echoed above.
I looked up.
The main support beam was plunging straight toward me.
Darkness swallowed me whole.
Chapters (4)
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Watch & Promotions
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